The 5ive at 5: Five Reasons Not to Hate will.i.am (#5)

I hate will.i.am. Don’t get it twisted. The founder and leader of the Black Eyed Peas is the textbook definition of a sellout. He found his sweet spot creating dumbed-down pop-oriented tunes, creating dark spots on the careers of artists like Kelis and Usher (seriously? How did “OMG” end up being a #1 single?).

Wait a second, though. The most frustrating thing about will’s musical exploits is that there are times when he proves that he’s quite talented. There have been a handful of moments when I’ve looked down at the liner notes for a CD I’ve bought and been completely gobsmacked by will’s involvement. There have been enough of these moments that I’ve created a list of will.i.am’s 5 greatest musical endeavors.

We’re gonna start with a track will did for the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul. Mary’s career-defining “Breakthrough” album was a solid comeback after her Puffy reunion “Love & Life” caught a brick. One of the most solid songs (and it probably should’ve been a single) was “About You”. Bolstered by a stuttering Nina Simone sample (is that Nina biopic ever gonna come out?), the song’s good enough that you can excuse will’s lame rapping in the bridge. Check it out for yourself!